Pressing-machine



1 2 9 .l 1 U 11 M H '4' w. N 1 M 2 H m P -1 o Amy w. E. ANDREE.

PRESSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY [8, I917.

w. E. ANDREE.

PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I9, I9IL Patented Man-L 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEE T 2.

UNITED srarss WILLIAM EDWARD ANDREE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOTHE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A'CORPORATION OF OHIO.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

Application filed May 18, 1917. Serial No. 16,9,474.

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that I, IVILLIAM EDWARD Anemia, acitizen of the United btates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of'Illinois, have invented certaln new and useful Improvementsin Pressing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to press ng machines such as are used forpresslng garments, cloth, woven fabrics or the like. The object of theinvention is to provide an 1mproved pressing machine embodyingrelatively movable bucks or pressing members suitably padded, as isusual, together wlth means for applying moisture to the garment toimprove the pressing operation, and means for quickly drying thegarments being pressed and the pads of the pressing members, to therebyenable garments to be pressed and dried more quickly, to keep the padsdry and efficient, and to avoid spotting or injuring the garments beingpressed by moisture in the pads. A further object of the invention is toprovide an improved pressing machine in which the garments being pressedand the pads are dried by a current of air passed therethrough,preferably under pressure, and said air being heated to produce maximumdrying effects.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part willappear more in detail hereinafter.

The invention comprises the'pressing machine, hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawings, which represent one embodiment of the invention, Figure1 is a side elevation, showing the press closed; Fig. 2 is afrontelevation, partly broken out and in section; and Fig. 3 is a detailsection, showing the steaming device in the stationary pressing member.

, The pressing machine shown in the draW- ings comprises a suitableframe 1 having a front standard 2 supporting a stationary lower pressingmember or buck 3,. and a rear standard 4 to which is pivoted a swingingarm or lever 5 supporting the movable upper pressing member or head 6for cooperation with buck 3 in the usual manner. The shape orconfiguration of the head or buck to accommodate garments of differentkinds may obviously be varied within wide limits. The head is normallyheld elevated by a spring 7 and is depressed into pressing relation withthe buck by operation of a foot treadle 8 connected by a link 9 to alever 10 which is connected by a link 11 to operate two toggle links 12.13 indicates a release treadle having an arm 14 extending under thetreadle 8 for elevating the same to break the toggle.

The upper pressing member is heated by steam admitted to its hollowheating chamber 15 through a supply pipe 16. Its lower face is smoothand uninterrupted, but is covered with the usual padding or press clothindicated at 17.

The buck 3 isof complementary form to the head 6, its upper surfacebeing likewise provided with padding 18 lying over the perforated plate19, the perforations in which communicate with a hollow chamber 20extending over substantially the entirearea of the buck. Beneath theplate 19 is a horizontal wall 21, dividing the space within the buckinto two chambers, one the chamber 20 before referred to, and the othera chamber 22 communicating with a suitable source of heating medium, bya pipe 23. The garments to be pressed may be moistened in any suitablemanner, such as by steam supplied to the upper surfaceof the garment orfrom the lower buck, as desired. As illustrated,the horizontal wall 21is provided with passages 24. therethr'ough controlled by a valve 25seating upwardly and held-to its seat by the spring '26. The valve stem27 passes down through a stuffing box 28 to a lever 29, by depressingwhich the valve may be opened to permit steam to How from the live steamchamber 22 throughpassages 24 to chamber 20, and thence .through theperforations in plate 19 and through the padding 18 to the garment. Whenlever 29 is released valve 25 closes and cuts off the supply of steam tochamber 20.

Chamber 20 not only is the steaming chamber in the buck, .but also isthe chamber through which air is supplied to the pads for drying thesame and for also drying the article being pressed. For this purposechamber 20 communicates by way of a passage 30 with a pipe 31communicating with as connected to the releasetreadle 13, which isprovided with an arm 37, connected bya link 38 to one arm of a bellcrank lever 39,

the other arm of which is connected through a yielding spring 40 to thevalve stem. Consequently, whenever the release treadle is depressed toopen the press the air pressure is turned into the chamber 20. This willoccur simultaneously with the opening movement of the press and at atime when the steam valve 25 isv closed. The air pressure may be held onas long as desired.

With the arrangement described garments ma be pressed and dried morequickly than wit press'es as heretofore constructed. The buck is heatedby the live steam constantly present in chamber 22. Therefore, the airsupply for drying the garments passes through a heated chamber and itstemperature is elevated considerably above the atmospheric. Thismaterially improves the ability of the moving air to absorb moisturefrom the padding of garments thereon.

- Moreover, the air pressure has a distinct advantage over suction orvacuum, as-usually employed, in that it keeps the padding loose andflutfy, so that it is not so liable to mat down. The pads are alwayssubstantially dry, as a result of which the press may be used forpressing garments which otherwise would be spotted or damaged by themoisture of the pads. Moreover the passage of hot air through thepadding maintains the pad in a hot condition, as distinguished from thecooling of said pad which occurs when cold or atmospheric air is drawndown through the. pad, as where a vacuumis employed. Other advantages ofthe invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A pressing machine, comprising relatively movablecooperating upper and lower pressing members, one of which is providedwith a foraminous pressing plate forming one wall of a shallow chamber,the opposite wall of said chamber forming-a partition between saidchamber and a second chamber, means for supplying steam to said secondchamber, means for supplying compressed air to said first chamber, andmeans controlling the flow of steam from the second to the firstchamber.

2. A pressing machine, comprising relatively movable cooperating upperand lower pressing members, the lower pressing memher being hollow andprovided with an inner horizontal wall forming a partition between alower and a shallow upper chain ,ber therein, a :t'orammous pressingplate near to and parallel with said partition and forming the upperwall of the shallow upper chamber, means for maintaining a supply ofsteam in the lower chamber to heat the lower pressing member, valvemeans controlling the flow of steam from theheat ing chamber to theupper chamber and thence through the foraminous plate for moistening thegarment, and means for producing flow of air tothe upper chamber andthence tl'irough the foraminous plate for drying the garment.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM EDWVARD ANDREE. Witnesses:

Max E. LEHMANN, SoELLA JENSEN.

